Special occasions create special situations, and former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt is happy to accept his role as the opening pitcher for the early preliminary round of UFC 300.
Garbrandt (14-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) is not losing. In fact, he has won two in a row. His opponent, former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (22-3-1 MMA, 11-3-1 UFC), has also improved since winning his first fight at 135 pounds in December.
So why were two former champions who are still going strong being tasked with opening the event? Now, UFC 300 is a special case, with former champions and future Hall of Famers from top to bottom. Garbrandt understands this and focuses on the positives.
“For me, I feel a sense of gratitude,” Garbrandt told MMA Junkie. “I'm so grateful to be at UFC 300. First and foremost, I'm grateful to be healthy enough to chase this dream. Being the first to be announced for the fight is an advantage for me. I'm an early riser. So I trained early, I've already had 3 sessions today and it's almost 2 o'clock. My day is almost over.
“So at 3 p.m. we fight and open it up – and it also shows you how much drawing power I can have to be able to seat people from the first bell. Masu. “
On any given matchup card, there are usually only two spots with reliable starting times. It's the first match and main card opener. Everyone else may experience changing their gait depending on what happened in previous battles. Because of this, Garbrandt found another positive in holding the event.
“This eliminates the guessing game,” Garbrandt said. “The worst thing is you think you're ready and you're warming up, and then the fight ends in a first-round knockout or a finish or something. Then they come back and say, 'You're walking in threes. I’m here!’ I said.”
The former champion will return to his family and friends after work and enjoy the rest of the card. Usually the first fight on a card is the last place you want to be, but for this fight and this special event, Garbrandt focused on the positives.
“To me, that says a lot,” Garbrandt said. “I'm excited about what the UFC is doing. I know what Dana and Blas and Hunter want to do is get people in the venue from start to finish. I'm excited to go out there and give the best performance of my life. , I can guarantee you that we will play the game as usual.”
For more information on this card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC 300 event hub.
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
